Purple Hyacinth
by Golden-Butterfly-Emi
Summary: A small faction of the Hyūga clan wants the heiress dead to revive Kaguya Otsutsuki. Hinata is faced with challenges and discoveries as she investigates her own clan. And she learns that fateful encounters can take place in Konoha’s cemetery. (Sasuhina) (One sided Gaahina)
1. Chapter 1

Since Neji passed away, Hinata felt alone. The Hyuga mansion seemed so big and empty in her eyes. Even if her little sister would stay and train with her, she couldn't replace the special presence of Neji. Oh, how she missed him. She shared a special relationship with her cousin. They were way more than simple cousins, they were brother and sister, ready to die for the other. Every time she was scolded by her father, he would comfort her and train her twice as hard. Even if there was a time where he had wanted to kill her, he had changed for the better, and moved on from his father's death.

But he had found a similar death. And she could not prevent it. Because that was how the Hyuga clan's rules were. The branch members had to die to protect the main branch members. She thought that these rules had changed during the war. That whatever branch you were from, they would die for one another. But nothing had really changed. She didn't do anything to change it. And now, she had her cousin's blood in her hands. Oh yes, she felt so guilty.

A soft rain was falling on Konoha. The blue sky was hidden by deep-grey coloured clouds on that Sunday evening. She thought it matched her mood perfectly. That is why she took her lavender umbrella, and slowly made her way into the village centre. There were few people on the streets due to the weather, and most of them were eating joyfully inside the restaurants. Her lavender umbrella covering her head from the rain, she stopped at the Yamanaka's shop. She could see her friend preparing bouquets inside. Folding her umbrella, she stepped inside and greeted her blonde friend.

"Good afternoon, Ino-san."

"Oh, hi Hinata! I've prepared the bouquet you requested." The young kunoichi presented her carefully a magnificent bouquet of purple flowers. "A bouquet of purple hyacinth."

Ino knew the language of flowers since she was born. And she also knew who this bouquet was for. But she didn't say anything about it, as she respected Hinata's mourning.

"Thank you, I'll get going." Hinata respectfully bowed, and took the little bouquet into her hands.

"Please tell him that we miss him." Whispered the blonde kunoichi, her blue eyes reflecting sadness.

Hinata nodded and offered her a little smile, before exiting the boutique. Neji was deeply missed by his friends. He didn't talk a lot, and was sometimes arrogant, but deep down, everyone liked him. The Hyuga heiress finally arrived in front of the tall silver gates, guarding the village's cemetery. The war had caused a lot of families to mourn people who joined the heavens too early, and as a consequence, the cemetery was sadly extended. And every time she would stand in front of this big gate, she would remember the funeral. It was probably one of the most, if not the most horrible day of her life.

The Hyuga heiress took a deep breath, and pushed the gates to enter the cemetery. She slowly walked in between graves, and reached Neji's one. Hinata saw a bouquet of white orchids delicately laid down next to his name. It could only be Tenten. The heiress carefully placed her bouquet next to Tenten's, and glanced at the grave in front of her.

"Neji-nii-san… I hope you are happy where you are. I…" She could feel her tears falling down. "…I miss you. I'm…I'm so sorry…"

She suddenly sensed the energy in the air shifting. Someone with a tremendous amount of power had entered the cemetery. She slightly turned her head to look at that person. She was surprised to see the last Uchiha. He had returned to the village after the war, despite the fact that a lot of people held him accountable for it. He was now part of the ANBU elite, and helped Naruto run the village from the shadows. It was rare to see him, as he always was on E-class missions. The last time she had seen him was at Naruto and Sakura's wedding, which was one year ago. She immediately hid behind the tree bordering Neji's grave. She felt like she invaded the Uchiha's privacy. But she still observed him, curious. He was clothed in his ANBU attire, and let the rain pour down on him. She saw him walking towards a particular grave. Her Byakugan allowed her to read the name written on it: "_Mikoto Uchiha_". It was the first time that she saw Sasuke's features soften. She never had seen him laugh or even smile. But right now, she was looking at a completely different person. He stood there for a good fifteen minutes, staring at the grave, before leaving the cemetery. Hinata held her breath until he left. Finally coming out of her hiding, she picked a hyacinth from Neji's bouquet, and slowly walked towards Mikoto Uchiha's grave. There were no flowers, and the gravestone was dusty.

The heiress bent down on her knees, and taking a tissue from her bag, started to clean the late Uchiha's grave. She remembered Mikoto Uchiha as a really elegant, beautiful and soft-spoken woman. She used to see her in old clans gathering, and she would always smile at Hinata and pinch her cheeks. Sasuke only inherited her beauty but not her smiles or her warmth, she thought. The heiress placed a hyacinth for the late Uchiha.

"It was _you_."

Hinata froze. This icy voice and this sudden presence that gave her goosebumps were too familiar… she slowly turned around to see Uchiha Sasuke, hands crossed, watching her. She gulped. She hadn't even felt him coming, although her sensory senses were one of the best in Konoha. This man was really something else. She slowly got up, and respectfully apologised:

"I was in the cemetery before you came in. I did not want to invade your privacy, that is why I hid behind a tree." She didn't dare to look at him in the eyes. She felt so stupid.

In front of him stood the Hyuga heiress, wearing an elegant night blue dress, holding an umbrella to hide her eyes. She was literally trying to avoid his gaze. He also noticed a bit of mud on her dress, as she had bent down to clean his mother's grave.

"Why did you clean _her_ grave? It's raining." He asked, ignoring her apologies. Why would one clean a grave while the rain can do it? Was she stupid?

"The… the rain does not clean moss or certain engraved dirt in the cracks…" His stare made her feel uncomfortable. "And I… I knew Mikoto-san…I started cleaning as a sign of respect. Oh and… I also brought some extra flowers, so I thought I could leave one."

Sasuke looked down on the delicately placed flower on his mother's grave. He couldn't bring flowers this time because he came straight from a mission. He felt relieved that someone else gave her flowers. But of course, he didn't show it.

The way his eyes would soften when he looked at his mother's grave was noticed by the heiress. Today, she was discovering a new Sasuke. He seemed much more… approachable. She felt the urge to see more of his unveiled facades.

"I came for Neji-nii-san's birthday." For the first time since the beginning of their conversation, the heiress held his gaze, not covering half of her face with the umbrella anymore. "He… he left us during the war, trying to protect me and Naruto." Maybe, she just needed to confide into someone. Or maybe, she was just crazy, talking about her personal life to THE Sasuke Uchiha, renown to not care about anyone (except for Naruto).

The last Uchiha looked again at the purple hyacinth. "Regrets, grief and sorrow…" He then looked at the Hyuga heiress. He remembered Hyuga Neji, as one of the strongest of his classmates.

Hinata blushed a little when he uncovered the meaning behind these beautiful flowers. She didn't reply, feeling tears rolling down her cheeks again. Grief and sorrow… yes, that was exactly what she was feeling. Feeling ashamed of crying in front of the Uchiha, she quickly covered her face with her umbrella and used her sleeves to wipe her tears away.

Sasuke didn't expect her to cry but didn't show any emotion. Purple hyacinth expressed perfectly his feelings towards his mother. He regretted not coming earlier from school _that _day. Hell, he regretted that whole day. He regretted so many things he did in his pathetic life. He should have been the one crying. Not the Hyuga heiress who always conducted herself rightly.

"I do not think that Neji Hyuga would want you to regret his sacrifice." Sasuke surprised himself. He didn't expect himself to _comfort_ a stupid girl crying. "At least, he sacrificed himself for someone who was _worth it_." He spat.

Hinata showed her face to Sasuke, putting her umbrella down, surprised. She didn't expect him to reply like this. She could see the self-disgust and the pain in his dark eyes. And it hurt her to watch him. He lived such a difficult life. He saw his parents' lives stolen by his own brother, only to find out that he was ordered by the village to do so. She stared at him silently for a few minutes. They were both drenched by the rain.

"Uchiha-san… you have made many mistakes in your life, so did everyone else in this village, even in this world. But… whatever you did before you returned to the village is not important. What is essential is what you are doing with your life _now._ And you are _protecting _every single one of us. And I am thankful for that." Hinata held his gaze, smiling at him. Every single word she had said was genuine.

Honestly, Sasuke didn't know how to react. He felt a warm feeling deep inside his heart, but at the same time, he was a bit confused. He never expected Hinata, or anyone in the village, being thankful to him. And he could see in her lavender eyes, that she was not lying. She was sincere. He remembered her as the quiet, weird, shy girl, who had a creepy crush on Naruto. He knew of her stalker tendencies as he had caught her watching the blonde several times. But he had also thought of her as _too kind _and therefore… weak. Just a plain weak girl. But in front of him was standing that same weird girl, looking at him straight in the eyes, and talking some sense into him with kind words while being genuine. Maybe, she was not _that_ weak.

Hinata could see in the dark eyes of Sasuke that he was slowly processing what she had said. It was strange how she could tell what he was feeling just by looking at his eyes. The heiress felt a bit ashamed as she had always thought that Sasuke was incapable of feeling emotions. She just never got to know him. She wondered what their relationship would have been, if they had known each other when they were younger? _It's not too late_, whispered a small voice in her head. She slightly blushed at the thought before chasing it from her head. And suddenly, she broke the silence by sneezing. She had completely forgotten that she was not holding her umbrella above her head.

"Take this." Sasuke offered her a tissue, and took the umbrella from her hand.

Hinata studied him, surprised, and hesitantly, took the tissue he was offering, As she was discreetly blowing her nose, she felt the rain stop. She looked up, and saw Sasuke towering her, holding her umbrella above her, as he still stood in the rain.

"Uhm… how about we share the umbrella, Sasuke-san?" Hinata, despite the fact that her heart was pounding in her chest, asked him as she didn't want him to be sick.

He stared at her for a few seconds, surprised that she proposed to share the umbrella, and with a little bit of hesitation, drew closer to the heiress.

"I will accompany you to your house as it is already dark." He said as they started to walk out of the cemetery.

"T-Thank you very much, Sasuke-san."

They didn't share any word until they arrived in front of the Hyuga mansion. The heiress was feeling a bit uncomfortable being this close to a _man_, but she actually _liked_ his company. She smiled at him, and stepping out of the umbrella zone, slightly bowed:

"Thank you for bringing me home, Sasuke-san."

He nodded as a sign of acknowledgement and started folding her umbrella.

"Oh no, please keep it. Return it to me when you don't need it, Sasuke-san."

He stopped, and then, for the first time, offered her an amused smile. "Thank you, Hinata. I'll…see you around." And holding her umbrella above his head, he continued walking, leaving her at her front door.

And the heiress couldn't stop thinking about how her name sounded so…_sweet_ when he pronounced it. She secretly hoped that they would be meeting again. Maybe, that was why she left him her umbrella.

* * *

Hello there!

This is my first attempt at writing an English Sasuhina one-shot! I'm sorry for all the grammatical/vocabulary mistakes. As I just moved to the UK, I have to improve my writing skills. So I thought that one of the best way to do it was to try writing about one of my favourite couple. It is short, but I hope you liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

_I'm back! I did not expect so many good reviews for my first english sasuhina one-shot. So I decided to try to write additional chapters for you guys. I apologise for any grammatical/vocabulary mistake, as english is not my first language. Please be kind! I really hope you like this chapter. I tried my best to stay true to the characters. __Enjoy! _

* * *

She didn't even know why she had agreed to come. Sitting on a spacious red sofa, the Hyuga heiress was half-listening to her friends' conversations. Naruto Uzumaki had invited all of his close friends to his one-year marriage anniversary party. Including Hinata. The Hyuga had loved the blonde ninja since her academy days. Everyone in the village was aware of her feelings for the Hokage, -except him of course. She finally had the courage to confess her feelings to her loved one during the war. But the young man had politely rejected her at the end of the war. And today, even if she didn't love him as much as she did a few years ago, Naruto was her first love and occupied a special place in her heart. And although she genuinely felt happy for the couple, she could not help but feel pain at seeing them together. Being at the party only reminded her of how she had been rejected by the blonde. However, she was a Hyuga and didn't show any of it.

"Hinata, you haven't touched your glass, are you ok?" Asked a brunette, looking at the heiress with her beautiful brown eyes.

"I'm alright, Tenten. I'm just feeling a bit sleepy." Hinata preferred spending late night reading books or training rather than being at a party.

"Are you a grandma? Just drink this glass already!" Said Ino Yamanaka, pushing the alcohol towards the heiress.

Hinata thought that she maybe actually needed that glass, in order to forget how stupidly she was rejected a few years ago. She hated herself for still thinking about it. But how was one supposed to forget their first love? She hesitantly took the glass and slowly drank the liquid. She didn't know what Ino had put inside, but it burned her throat. She could see her blonde friend clapping and Tenten rolling her eyes.

The comfortable sofa was occupied by the three friends, but the star of the party finally graced them with her presence. Wearing a long dark green dress, Sakura Haruno was absolutely stunning. She was tall, skinny, had a strong jawline, beautiful hair and skin… No wonder Naruto chose her, thought Hinata.

"Happy marriage anniversary, Sakura. I wish you both love and joy for the rest of your lives." Hinata smiled at Sakura. "I brought you a little gift, I hope you will like it."

Sakura returned the Hyuga heiress' smile, and took the small gift box into her hands. She then proceeded to hug Hinata, while thanking her for the gift. Although the two young women were friends, it was not the same as before. Since Sakura and Naruto announced their engagement two years ago, a certain awkwardness and distance was present in the two women's friendship. And this was partly because Sakura unconsciously felt guilty about being with Naruto, and pitied the Hyuga heiress.

"You look…stunning." Gasped Naruto, as he approached his wife. His azure eyes were slightly shining. He offered his hand to the medic-in. "Can I have a dance?"

The pink haired medic-in blushed a little, before accepting. She was led by her husband in the middle of the room, and all the eyes were on them.

The Hyuga princess asked Tenten to pour her another glass of whatever-throat-burning liquid, and slowly sipped it. She looked at Ino, who stood up to dance with her boyfriend, Sai. She couldn't help but smile. It was only in the presence of Ino that she could see Sai express _raw _emotions. She then glanced at one of her closest friend, Tenten, who was also watching an invisible point in front of her. The heiress knew that who she was thinking about. She slowly passed her arm around her friend's shoulders.

"It looks like we are the only single ladies here." She said jokingly.

"Yeah… and all the boys at this party are taken too. Well except for Lee, but he doesn't count." Laughed the brown-eyed kunoichi.

And they continued to talk and laugh, while drinking more glasses, and Hinata was starting to feel dizzy. But she felt like she needed that. How is one supposed to forget her first love in two years? She glanced at her ex-crush who was sitting in the other side of the room, laughing and drinking with his friends. That is when she realised something. Where was _Sasuke_?

She hadn't seen him since their last meeting at the cemetery. It had already been three weeks. She knew that he was really busy, and that he didn't really go out anyways. At that exact moment, someone rang the bell. The whole room went silent, and she could only hear the music playing in the background. She saw Naruto stop dancing and a huge grin was plastered on his face.

"It must be Sasuke!"

Kiba looked at his watch. "He is quite late."

"I heard that he was sent for a special mission near the Northern Borders, three weeks ago, and he only came back this morning." Explained Choji, while eating his favourite crisps.

"Well, here comes the most eligible bachelor of Konoha." Whispered Tenten.

Hinata smiled, but deep inside, she was anxious. She couldn't explain why. Maybe that was because she drank a bit much?

She could feel his imposing presence in the room when he entered. She discreetly looked at him. He was wearing a black shirt with the Uchiha symbol embroidered at the back, and a casual pair of black trousers. Even while wearing simple clothes, the last survivor of the Uchiha clan looked _hot_. Hinata genuinely thought he was handsome. She continued to watch him, as he sat with his best friend who was already pouring him a glass of alcohol.

Their eyes locked. Onyx looked into lavender eyes. He nodded at her. It was almost unnoticeable, but Hinata could swear that she saw it. Or maybe she was imagining things.

Sasuke didn't want to come. He hated these "parties" where he had to _talk with people. _But Naruto was an important friend to him, and he had the duty to attend his wedding anniversary party. Even if he had just came back to Konoha after an exhausting mission. Just seeing his best friend smile was enough for him. He did expect most of the Konoha 11 to attend the party, but never imagined that the Hyuga princess would turn up. He did not like many people, but he didn't mind her presence. He shortly nodded at her, as a sign of … respect? Did he respect her? He did not have enough time to dwell on this question, as someone approached him. He tore his eyes away from the Hyuga heiress.

"Good evening, Sasuke." Sakura greeted her friend with a smile.

"Congratulations, Sakura." Said the Uchiha, lightly smiling at the medic-nin.

He still remembered the day he formally rejected her. He appreciated her love for him, even after he had tried to kill her. He _loved _her in a friendly way, and held her in high regards. Naruto came behind him, and putting his hand around the Uchiha's shoulders, grinned "Thank you for coming, teme!"

"Now that everyone is here, it is time for… _couple dance_!" Exclaimed the medic-nin, clapping her hands together with excitement.

The music changed, and the main couple began to dance, again, in the middle of the room. Sasuke could hear Ino screaming "Oh my goood, they are so cute!", and forcefully drag Sai to dance with her. And slowly, couples began to dance to the romantic music.

"I hate couple dances…" mumbled Tenten, pouring herself a glass of wine.

Hinata was going to reply, but was interrupted by the arrival of Rock Lee. He extended his hands towards Tenten, and formally asked:

"May I have this dance?"

Tenten looked startled. She glanced at Hinata, who took the glass of wine from her hand and gestured her to accept. The brown-eyed ninja hesitated, before taking Lee's hand. And Hinata was left alone. She began to sip her friend's wine, while looking at which boys decided not to dance. Of course, Sasuke Uchiha was sitting there, looking like he wanted to run away from this party. Shikamaru was casually talking with Temari on the opposite sofa, while Shino was silently eating a piece of cake.

The heiress took a deep breath. She felt dizzy. She couldn't remember how many glasses she had drank. She stared at the happily married couple who was dancing in the middle of the room. She didn't believe in love anymore. How could she love someone else more than she had loved Naruto? Hinata knew that from the moment she was rejected, that she would never marry for love. Her father was already looking for suitors within the Hyuga family. She was waiting for him to tell her officially who he had chosen. What a pathetic life, she thought.

Hinata decided to go get some fresh air. She discreetly passed through the dancing couples and opened the door. The sky was dark, and a few stars were brightly shining. She closed the door behind her, and decided to sit down on the doorsteps. But her eyes fell on someone who apparently, has had the same idea. That someone slowly turned around. Black eyes locked into lavender eyes. Again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you would be there. I'll go back inside." Apologised the young lady, as she turned around to open the door again. She didn't want to disturb his privacy. She hadn't even noticed him vanishing from the party!

"You can stay." He said, as he turned back to look at the sky.

Hinata was surprised. Did the legendary Sasuke Uchiha tell her to stay? She hesitantly stood behind him, leaning on the door.

"Do I have a mortal disease? Is that why you are not sitting beside me?" His tone was a bit playful. Hinata was quite surprised that he could have this kind of tone. Feeling guilty, she rushed to sit on the step Sasuke was on, but at a respectable distance of course.

"I just didn't want to intrude…" said the Hyuga softly, avoiding his gaze.

"You are one of the few people I do not find intruding." Casually said the survivor, looking at the sky. He didn't think of it as a compliment. It was a fact. He always thought of Hinata as… _different_. She was not head over heels for him, she always conducted herself with dignity and elegance. Well, she was not a Hyuga heiress for nothing. As he didn't hear any answer, he turned his head towards her. Hinata looked taken aback by his words. He simply smirked, and asked her a question that was on his mind since their first meeting.

"Are you still _infatuated _with Naruto?"

Why did he ask her this specific question? Was he making fun of her? The heiress frowned. Maybe the few drinks she had consumed previously gave her the confidence to reply with a harsh tone. "I am not. Not anymore. Why are you asking this? Do you still have feelings for Sakura?"

Sasuke looked at the heiress, with an eyebrow raised. Despite the fact that she was talking to him with a harsher tone than usual, the question about Sakura was unexpected.

"Sakura is one of my closest friend. Nothing more." Sasuke was amused at the Hyuga's assumption. He truly loved Sakura as a friend, and wished her all the happiness in the world.

Hinata held his gaze. She was starting to become more curious about him. It was rare to see him openly talk about his feelings. She wondered if she could discover more of this man tonight. Although she was starting to see him in double.

"Then, have you ever romantically _loved_ anyone?" She hesitantly asked. This was quite an interesting topic. What kind of girls did he like? He could have any girl, actually. Maybe, now that his mind was more at _peace_, without any wish for revenge, he was able to give some love? Was his mind _really_ at peace?

Sasuke unexpectedly looked away, his eyes fixed on the shining sky in the dark night. They could hear the sound of the music coming from inside the party. The survivor didn't know how to answer this question. He never had thought about _loving_ someone. Was he even allowed to _love_ someone romantically after all the sins he had committed? He _loved_ Naruto as a brother. He _loved_ Sakura as his close friend. He would do anything for them. But _loving_ a person romantically?

"No." He softly said. He didn't even love himself. How could he give love to someone else? He knew that he had to ensure that the Uchiha lineage, however, he never really had thought about _loving someone_.Sasuke kept looking at the sky. "I've _loved_ enough." He whispered. He had loved his family so much that had completely lost his way. And that was painful enough. He was _scared_ to love someone as much as he had loved his own clan.

"I've loved enough too." Hinata replied, thinking about a certain blonde. She did not quite understand the depth of Sasuke's answer. "I'll probably have an arranged, loveless, marriage to a distant cousin within the Hyuga clan." She didn't know why she was so easily talking about her miserable life, to no other than one of the most feared ninja of all time. The several glasses she had consumed had an inhibiting effect on her. She was starting to feel very hot, and her stomach was starting to feel a bit strange. However, a few words slipped out of her mouth. "I just…" She turned her head towards the Uchiha. "I just want to be… _happy_."

"Don't we all?" Sasuke looked into the pale eyes that were staring at him. She was going to cry. He did not know how many glasses she had tonight, but he could see that she was not sober. He slowly stood up, and motioned her to go back inside.

"You are drunk, Hyuga."

"No, I am not…" she whispered, feeling a sudden pain in her stomach. A few seconds later, she felt herself throwing up on Naruto's flowers. She could feel Sasuke's hands holding her damp sweaty hair, while she was emptying her stomach. Although she was half-conscious, she felt ashamed of looking so miserable in front of Sasuke.

"Hyuga, y-"

And everything went blank.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well! Please take care of yourself amid this coronavirus outbreak. _

_I am back with a new chapter. Thank you for all your kind reviews, that keep me pushing to write more chapters. Please don't forget that english is not my first language, so you may find some mistakes. __This chapter sets the plot for the story, so you may find that there is not enough Sasuhina interaction. Thank__ you all for your support, and I hope you will enjoy this chapter. _

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The sun rose high above the city of Konoha. It was around lunch time when the Hyuga heiress finally opened her eyes. She immediately felt her head heavy and aching. She slowly tried to remember why she was in her bed, and what had happened the previous night. But all the images she was remembering were blurry. She lied a few more minutes on her comfy bed, until she heard a familiar sound coming from outside her room.

"Onee-san, wake up!"

The door opened, and showed her little sister standing, still wearing her pyjamas. She looked quite distressed, Hinata noticed. Slowly raising from the bed, the elder Hyuga daughter looked at Hanabi, concerned.

"Is anything the matter?"

Hanabi jumped right next to her sister on the bed, and nearly screamed. "Why did Sasuke bring you home yesterday? THE Sasuke Uchi_hot_! Dad is fu-ri-ous!"

"I… What do you mean? Did _he_ bring me home, yesterday?" asked the heiress, confused.

"You don't remember?" Hanabi sighed, holding her sister's hand.

Hinata took a deep breath. She could not remember anything from the day before. She went to Naruto's party, and drank with her friends. She then… walked away, and found Sasuke. They sat together and talked about…love? She remembered feeling hot, and… her eyes widened while she flushed.

"Oh my God." She whispered.

"Don't tell me you did nasty things with-"

"I threw up in front of Sasuke-san!' she realized, her cheeks still hot.

"I was expecting something way juicier, onee-san." Hanabi rolled her eyes, and sighed.

Hanabi would never admit it loudly but she was a little bit jealous of her sister. Hinata was always considered the most beautiful and feminine one among the siblings. And Hanabi had to admit that it was true. Hinata was everything that she wasn't: feminine, soft spoken, polite and great body. And on top of that, the boys that were around her were no one but the war heroes, such as Naruto, and now… Sasuke Uchiha. As known as the most eligible bachelor in Konoha (except for the few who still treated him like a traitor).

"Hanabi!" said the elder sister, embarrassed.

The little sister rolled her eyes a second time. "Oh, you really need to stop acting like a prude." She got up from the bed. "Anyway, father is waiting for us downstairs. You better hurry because he is not in a good mood."

"Yes, I'll be ready in a few minutes. Go first, I'll join you." Hinata immediately jumped out of her bed. She could not let her father wait. She waved her hand to Hanabi, who was leaving, and rushed to the shower. She did not want to reek of alcohol in front of the clan leader.

* * *

Hiashi calmly sipped his green tea, eyes closed, as both his daughters were silently looking at him. Hinata's cup was still full. She could feel the dark aura surrounding her father. Hanabi on the other hand, was eating her bowl of rice, although she was also unsettled by the atmosphere in the room.

"Hinata." The clan leader finally spoke. "Where were you yesterday evening?"

The heiress was expecting this question and had already prepared her answer. "I was at Naruto-kun's and Sakura-san's house, to celebrate their wedding anniversary."

Hiashi finally looked at his eldest daughter. "Then, why did the _traitor_ bring you home last night, in such a disgraceful state?"

Hanabi stopped eating, and threw a worried side look to the heiress. The tone their father used was extremely dry, which meant that he was irritated. However, Hinata did not lose her composure. First of all, she did not like the fact that her father was questioning her actions like she was five-year-old. Secondly, she did not like the fact that her father did not call Sasuke by his name.

"You are aware of my past feelings for Naruto-kun. I was feeling unwell, and drank a bit more than usual." She finally looked at her father, straight in the eyes. "_Sasuke-san_ was kind enough to bring me home, upon seeing my state of distress."

"Do not associate yourself with the traitor." Hiashi replied, still looking at his daughter. "He may have changed, as Kakashi likes to claim, however, an Uchiha can never be trusted."

The atmosphere in the room was suffocating. Hanabi was quite surprised that Hinata was actually holding her ground on this matter. She knew that Hinata had grown since her shy and unconfident days, and that is why Hiashi restored her status back as the heiress. However, although she spoke more confidently, it was the first time that she saw her sister disagreeing with father in such a manner.

"With all due respect, father, I wish to see for myself if _Sasuke-san _can be trusted or not." Hinata replied. Her composure was perfect, but deep down, she was worried and angry at the same time. She never directly opposed her father like this, however, she sincerely though that her father was wrong to uphold the hatred towards the Uchiha survivor. Everyone deserved a second chance, and this included Sasuke as well. And, although some of his actions were questionable, she did not know how she would have reacted to her brother killing her whole clan. It must have been such a trauma to a young child.

Hiashi held her gaze. His daughter was resisting his order with such poise. She really had grown. However, he did not have enough time to voice his opinion, as a maid shyly opened the door. "I apologise for the intrusion, Hiashi-sama. However, the Hokage has summoned Hinata-sama."

Hinata internally thanked the Gods for saving her from her father.

* * *

It was a very sunny day in Konoha, and Hinata could feel the gentle breeze of the wind caressing her face as she walked towards the Hokage tower. Every time she looked at this building in the middle of Konoha, standing tall and proud, she could not stop herself of thinking about Naruto. The room at the top of the building was his dream, and he was so close to achieving it. But then, she wondered, what was _her_ dream? She had been so infatuated with the blond, and moved by his passion that she somewhat felt that she had forgotten herself along the line. Was never giving up her dream?

As she approached the door, she heard Kakashi's voice asking her to enter. He had already sensed her. She pushed the door, and entered the room. Her pale eyes fell on the man sitting at the centre of the room, reading some paperwork. Kakashi Hatake. The copying ninja, who was part of the ANBU black ops. He looked so calm, but everyone knew that he was a beast, even without his sharingan. And the whole village was also aware that he really didn't want to be the Hokage, but accepted to cover this position until Naruto was ready to take over. As she closed the door behind her, she noticed the presence of all the members of Team 7, including Sasuke, and her own team members. She was surprised, and worried, but did not let it show on her face. She bowed in respect of the Hokage.

Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame immediately went to stand next to her, as if they were protecting her of something. Or _someone._ They both knew that after the great ninja war, Naruto had admitted to Hinata that he knew about her feelings all along, and that he could not return them. And although they respected Naruto as a friend, they could not get over the fact that he was aware of their teammate's feelings, but never rejected her. Hinata softly smiled at her teammates' behaviour, and looked at Kakashi.

"I apologise for my tardiness."

Kakashi offered her a smile. "That's fine, Hinata-san. Now that everyone is here, I can tell you why I have called all of you in."

Although her eyes were fixed on the Hokage, Hinata could see Team 7 standing on the other side of the room. Sasuke was leaning against the wall, looking through the window, as completely uninterested by what was going on. Naruto flashed her a warm smile, which she returned. And Sakura for some reason had a very troubled face.

"A report came to me this morning, in relation to the Hyuga clan." Kakashi showed the papers that were in his hand. "It was discovered that a small faction is trying to bring Kaguya Otsutsuki back to life."

All eyes turned to Kakashi, even Sasuke's. At the sound of the Great Goddess' name, the atmosphere of the room completely changed. Hinata's eyes widened, as shock ran through her body. Who would dare to do that, especially after the Great Ninja War? She was trying to think of anyone within the Hyuga clan who would be involved in this, but no one came to her mind. Her father? There was no way. He may put the clan's interest above the village's, but the war had affected him too much for him to even think about this idea. And, wasn't she sealed anyway?

"This is impossible!" said Kiba, confused. "Didn't Naruto and Sasuke seal her?"

"Yeah, exactly! We sealed her with Indra and Ashura's chakra. Unless one of us decide to break the seal, no one else can. Even the Hyuga clan." Naruto stated, as he took a step closer to Kakashi's table.

Kakashi put the report down on the table, and looked at Kiba, then Naruto. "Indeed, she has been sealed her away." And his gaze finally turned to Hinata. "However, the main branch of the Hyuga clan are her direct descendants, along with the Otsutsuki clan. According to a certain forbidden fuinjutsu, it is stated that _the purest blood must be shed _so that Kaguya can be revived, through a host."

The room went quiet, as everyone was trying to process what was being said. What did the purest blood mean?

"The purest blood would mean the first born of the Hyuga clan, or the Otsutsuki clan?" realised Shino, as he quickly glanced at her teammate, with worry.

Kakashi nodded, his eyes still on Hinata. "The Otsutsuki clan consider Kaguya as a traitor. They would not want to revive her. The only other option is the person even the Otsutsuki clan call …_ Byakugan Princess_."

Hinata gulped, as she recalled who first mentioned this title. Hamura Otsutsuki had called her Byakugan Princess, and entrusted her with some of his chakra, as she was the only one who could destroy the Tenseigan. She had never really pondered on what this strange title meant. However, she guessed that her Byakugan was considered as the purest one among the Hyuga clan, and this might be reason why she had been given this title. From old legends running in the Hyuga clan, she knew that a pure Byakugan meant a Byakugan that was close to an Otsutsuki's, the original Byakugan bearers.

"Now that you say this… I remember Toneri calling her the Byakugan Princess." Sakura finally spoke up, realization in her eyes. "So, this would mean that the Hyuga clan needs to kill Hinata, so that she can become Kaguya's host?"

Hinata's blood froze, as she listened to Sakura. This was insane. Some members of her own clan were trying to kill her.

"This cannot be true! I will never let this happen!" shouted Kiba, moving unconsciously in front of Hinata. Shino stepped forward as well, in silence.

Hinata remained calm. "Does father know about this?"

"He came to see me one week ago, with some suspicions. And he allowed me to conduct a secret investigation." Explained Kakashi, as he recalled that day. Although the Hokage was the leader of the village, he was not allowed to conduct unauthorised investigation on the four noble clans of Konoha. Never in the history of Konoha had the Hyuga leader asked for an investigation within his own clan.

Hinata sighed in relief. If her father asked for the Hokage's help, this meant that he was not part of this insanity. However, this also implied that something had happened, but he could not directly confront the authors. This only meant that they were not simple servants. They were people of power within the clan.

"Don't worry Hinata!" Blue eyes bore into pale eyes. "We will destroy that faction!"

Sakura rolled her eyes and gently punched Naruto's shoulder. "We cannot just destroy Hyuga clan members, Naruto."

"What is our mission?" asked Shino, looking at the Hokage.

Finally, someone was asking the right question. "First, we must identify the members of the dissident faction. For this, Hinata-san needs Team 7 and Team 8's help." Kakashi turned his head towards the heiress. "Every time you suspect anyone, you must report it to me, and to this team, so that we can keep an eye on them and confirm whether or not they are involved in this."

Hinata nodded. "I understand."

Kakashi then turned to the pink haired kunoichi. "Sakura, your mission is to study the sealing technique, and find a way to alter it. We must prepare ourselves for the worse."

Sakura nodded, as she took the paper that Kakashi was handing her. She quickly glanced at them, and saw the details about the fuijutsu.

"We will keep an eye on Hinata and help her find the dissidents." said Shino, obviously referring to himself and Kiba.

"Indeed, you are the closest to Hinata, and no one will suspect you." Kakashi agreed, and then turned his eyes towards Naruto and Sasuke. "You two will be necessary towards the end of the mission, when we will need to stop the dissidents."

Naruto seemed quite excited as he shouted, "My pleasure!", while Sasuke did not move an inch from where he was.

Kakashi carefully looked at the unit he had picked for the mission. Sakura was essential for this mission, as her understanding of chakra and seals would help them undercover a plan B should they be unable to stop the dissidents. As for Team 8, they were renowned for their tracking ability. Furthermore, Kiba and Shino had more access to the Hyuga compound due to their close friendship with the heiress. Finally, Naruto and Sasuke were needed to destroy the dissident faction and any seal that might take place. He needed to be extremely careful with this mission, as it involved one of the strongest clans of Konoha, and mostly one of the most influential clan in the village. The Hyuga clan was one of the four noble clans, and had its seat at the Council. "This is a confidential E-Rank mission. We will meet next week, on the same day and at the same time." He said, while closing the report in his hands. The unit nodded.

Kakashi put the report in one of his drawers. "Now, Team 8 can leave. Team 7, please stay, I have another mission for you."

Team 8 bowed their head in sign of respect, before Kiba opened the door, to let his teammates leave first. Hinata caught Sasuke's eyes on her, as she turned away to leave. The heiress cheeks slightly turned pink from embarrassment, as she remembered last night's event.

* * *

"What happened yesterday?" Asked Kiba, as he walked next to Hinata and Shino, while exiting the Hokage tower.

He had to admit that he did not remember much from the party. He just knew that he was drunk, threw up on Sakura's new carpet, and passed out after she punched him in the face. Shino, on the other hand, didn't even take one single drink, and brought Kiba back home. However, both of them had not seen Hinata at the party just after the couple dance.

"I… I went out to get some fresh air. And I just went back home." Whispered Hinata, not looking at her teammates. She didn't want to tell them that she was with Sasuke, as she knew that they would freak out.

"You were with Sasuke." Plainly said Shino. Although his voice seemed very normal, people that were close to him would be able to detect the irritation.

"Excuse me, what?!" asked Kiba, stopping in his tracks, as he looked at the Hyuga heiress with big eyes. "Is it true?"

Hinata did not appreciate the fact that Shino had probably sent a beetle to follow her when she went out of Naruto's house. She knew that he did not intend to spy on her, and was probably worried about her. However, sometimes, she just felt like she had two overprotective big brothers. "I met Sasuke-san outside. As I was feeling unwell, he walked me back home." She explained calmly. It was the truth, and she had nothing to hide.

Kiba was truly confused. He had never seen Hinata and Sasuke interacting in his entire life. Knowing that he walked her home gave him mixed feelings. He may be back to the village (thanks to Naruto), but he still had a hard time trusting him. "I shouldn't have left you alone… Be wary of this guy. I don't trust him." Shino nodded in agreement.

The Hyuga heiress was grateful that her teammates did not start a ruckus in the middle of the road. "I will, Kiba-kun." And she tried to change the subject of the conversation. "I feel hungry, do you want to go to Ichiraku's?" She asked, with a soft smile.

"You're right, let's go!" said Kiba, as he put his hand around Hinata's shoulders. Team 8 walked through the streets of Konoha, with Kiba bragging about his last mission, Hinata smiling, and Shino accusing Kiba of exaggerating the facts. Hinata truly wished that these happy moments with her team would last forever. But deep down, she knew that the threat from her own clan would not let her.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hi everyone! I hope that you are all doing safe and well in these uncertain times. Please take care of yourselves, and only leave your house when it is absolutely necessary. _

_I absolutely love reading your reviews, so please do not hesitate to give me your opinion! __Again, english is not my first language, so I apologise for any mistake in this chapter. _

_Thank you for your support, and I hope that you will enjoy this chapter. _

* * *

_The next day _

The harsh sun was shining on the village of Suna, while the dry desert breeze was gently blowing. At the top of the tallest tower of the village, a young man was standing, as his emerald eyes were following a group of kids running through the streets of Suna. He did not move as he sensed a familiar chakra appearing a few feet behind him.

"Do you think that I have not noticed?" the young man asked, still observing the children.

The person behind him slightly shifted at his words but did not show any of it on her face. "What do you mean, Gaara?" She asked, as if she did not understand what he meant.

"That you are taking up every single mission requiring you to travel to Konoha." Gaara replied, as he slowly turned to face his beloved sister.

Temari's eyes widened, as her cheeks slightly turned pink. She was not surprised that Gaara finally noticed what she was doing, however, she felt embarrassed to be called out. "I don't know that you are implying Gaara. Most of the available missions lately have been connected to Konoha, somehow." She replied, putting a hand on her hip.

"Sure…" The Kazekage looked at her for a few seconds, before speaking again. "I called you because I need to travel to Konoha, to attend a meeting with Kakashi-san." At the mention of travelling to Konoha, his saw his sister's eyes light up. He could not help but softly smile. "I need you to travel with me, and… discuss our villages' security matter with Naruto's advisor, _Shikamaru_."

Temari blushed, and with a huge smile, nodded. "Of course, I'll come with you Gaara."

The Kazekage's smile did not leave his lips. He was eager to see Naruto, whom he had not seen for over six months due to his busy schedule.

* * *

Kō looked through the window of his room, and saw Hinata leaving the compound to join her teammates at the training grounds. A soft smile appeared on his lips, as he remembered being assigned as her guardian when she turned three years old. She would always hide behind him every time she felt embarrassed, and tightly clutch his kimono sleeve. And she was now an accomplished kunoichi, heiress of the strongest clan of Konoha. He was proud to serve her.

He yawned, as he recalled that his first duty in the morning was to oversee the breakfast prepared by the maids. He put his grey kimono on, and walked towards the other side of the Hyūga compound, as the kitchen was purposefully located the farthest possible from the residential area.

Kō could see some rooms light up, as we walked towards the kitchen. The clan was well known to despise tardiness and had a strict schedule. Today, three maids were in charge of preparing the breakfast. Kō remembered them to be childhood friends, who would always giggle and talk about the latest news in town. However, that particular morning, Kō felt like something was off. He was only one block away from the kitchen, and he still could not hear the maids' lovely laugh, or any delicious smell. He could have used his Byakugan to scan his surroundings, however, the Hyūga clan upheld a very strict policy of not using the Byakugan in the compound, except for training purposes. The first thing Kō noticed as he was approaching the kitchen door, was that it was not locked. He further noticed that the lights were not on. He slowly pushed the door, his heart pounding. He could _feel_ it. Something was _wrong_. His blood froze upon seeing what he saw in the kitchen.

* * *

Sasuke suddenly woke up, Sharingan activated, katana drawn out, drenched in sweat, and panting. It took him a few seconds to realise that it was only a nightmare. That cursed night kept repeating over and over in his nightmares, and he noticed that this has been reoccurring more often lately. He wiped his forehead sweat away with the back of his hand, and after taking a deep breath, he got up of his bed. He looked up at his clock, and realised that it was quite late. He needed to report to Kakashi. The survivor stepped into the shower, internally sighing. Oh, he definitely needed a cold shower to numb his beating heart. He recalled his painful past as the freezing water glided on his toned body. The Uchiha survivor did not know what to do to stop these incessant nightmares. No matter how many tablets he took, his nightmare always had a way of coming back.

As he put his cloak on, he felt a familiar presence stepping into the Uchiha grounds. Curious, the Uchiha survivor opened the door, before the person could knock. What on earth was _she_ doing here? Standing in front of him was the Hyūga heiress, with a startled look on her face.

"Oh, Sasuke-san, good morning." She greeted, slightly bowing her head in sign of respect. She wondered how many minutes ago he had sensed her presence. He truly had scary skills.

Sasuke simply nodded, confused. Did she become one of his fangirls overnight? Why was she at his door? He could see droplets of sweat pearling from her forehead. She was also wearing her (ugly) oversized purple jacket, which was opened enough to show her fishnet top, and her training pants. He concluded that she might have come straight from training.

"I apologise for disturbing you so early in the morning. I…I just wanted to thank you for bringing me home, after Naruto-kun's party."

The survivor saw the heiress slightly blush in embarrassment as she mentioned Naruto's party. He remembered holding her hair as she was throwing up everything that she ate that day and shortly passing out after that. He did not think of it as a big deal. He had simply done what anyone else would have done in the same situation: bringing the girl home. He recalled that the person who opened the Hyūga gates did not seem very pleased by his presence. But who wouldn't?

"It's fine." He simply replied, his eyes locking into pale lavender eyes.

He wondered how, after witnessing all the horrors of the war, she could keep such innocence in her eyes. He also thought about how calming her presence was, and how she had a way of making him more _talkative_ than usual. He did not like it. At all. He was not a very social person. However, for some reason, she had a way of making him talk. He observed her, as she took a package out of her bag. His eyes slightly widened, as he noticed that it was a…bento box. With the Uchiha crest on it.

"I made this to thank you." She offered the blue box to him. "I hope you will like it."

The Uchiha froze, his eyes still on the Uchiha crest. The image of his mother handing him his bento box for the academy flashed in front of his eyes for a few seconds.

"How… where did you get this?" The survivor asked, with an icy tone. How did she get her hand on this? Was she trying to get his attention in such a poor manner?

Hinata sensed his agitation. "Mikoto-san and my mother were friends. And… I found this box in her stuff a long time ago, but before I could give it back… the incident happened." She noticed that the Uchiha's gaze still was on the box. "And as I was thinking of a way of thanking you… I just remembered that my mother kept this." The heiress slightly bowed her head. "I…I apologise."

Sasuke's eyes never left the Uchiha crest. He carefully took it from the heiress' hands and examined it. It was really his mother's bento box. He recognised the scratch on the right side of the box. He remembered causing that scratch by accidentally dropping the box while training with Itachi. He unconsciously caressed it, sweet memories of his brother and his mother flashing in front of his eyes.

And again, Hinata witnessed Sasuke's features soften. She wondered whether she should leave and let him dwell in his memories. Would that be impolite of her? Maybe she should first excuse herself. She was going to open her mouth when the person in front of her finally spoke.

"Thank you." He whispered.

It was said in such a soft manner that Hinata was actually surprised that this was Sasuke's voice. However, she did not mention it. Understanding that this was her cue to leave, she politely bowed her head again.

"Have a nice day, Sasuke-san."

The survivor nodded, as he watched her turn around and walk toward the exit of the Uchiha grounds. Sasuke suddenly felt a presence approaching the heiress at a very high speed.

"Hinata-sama!" he heard a voice shout.

Sasuke looked up, and saw a man appearing in front of the heiress. He recognised him. He was the one who opened the gates when he brought her back. And for some reason, panic was written all over his face.

"Kō?" asked Hinata, concerned.

"Hinata-sama, you must return to the compound right now!" He said, his voice firm.

He did not understand how the Hyūga clansmen thought they had the right to enter his grounds whenever they seemed to have forgotten that this was the Uchiha district, and as long as he was alive, this land belonged to him. And _no one_ was allowed to enter without permission. However, after examining Kō's face, Sasuke decided that something very important must have happened. He therefore gave them a chance to disappear, while he entered his house to put the bento box in the fridge. He could definitely use the food for diner tonight. He then looked at the clock, and realised that he had spent too much time talking with the heiress. He needed to report to Kakashi about his last mission at the border. However, he could still sense both Hyūga's chakra, at the entrance of the Uchiha district. They had not even moved one bit. Sighing internally, Sasuke locked his door, and walked towards them. They needed to leave.

"They were…murdered?" Asked Hinata, her voice shaking.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he heard the question coming out of the heiress' mouth. A murder? Who was _they_? As part of the ANBU Black ops, he could not leave upon hearing such a thing. _Especially_ if it involved the Hyūga clan. He finally approached the two Hyūga.

"Uchiha Sasuke." The man named Kō finally acknowledged his existence, with a dry tone. His pale eyes bore into dark eyes.

"_Who_ was murdered?" calmly asked Sasuke, turning his head towards Hinata.

"Do not get involved in personal clan matter, _Uchiha_." Kō glared at the survivor. "This is none of your business."

Sasuke's eyes turned to the Hyūga shinobi. Kō could feel the threatening aura emanating from the Uchiha. He did not have to move, or even activate his doujutsu. His mere presence made Kō's heart beat faster.

"You are discussing a murder on _Uchiha_ grounds." Sasuke stepped closer to Kō. "As part of the ANBU, it is my duty to investigate this."

"Duty?" asked Kō, mockingly. He was a traitor, how could he even talk about duty to Konoha.

"Kō." Calmly interjected the heiress, silencing him. She knew the reason why Sasuke was getting involved in this. "Three maids were…brutally murdered this morning, in the compound." She lifted her eyes up to look at the Uchiha. "And I am a suspect, as I left early in the morning to go to the training grounds."

The Uchiha stared a few seconds at Kō, before turning his head towards Hinata, silently listening. Given the current circumstances in the Hyūga clan, he thought that there may be a link between the dissident faction and this incident. And as part of the mission, he needed to investigate this.

"Hinata-sama, you must come to the compound, and clear your name." begged Kō. "The elders are having a meeting, and they are expecting you."

"I'll come with you." Declared the Uchiha, still looking at the young woman.

"How can _you_ come to a Hyūga clan meeting?" hissed Ko, glaring at the survivor. He did not like this at all. "Even the Hokage does not have the right to interfere into _personal _clan matters."

"Kō is right, Sasuke-san. I will deal with this myself." Hinata held Sasuke's gaze.

"I don't think so." The Uchiha glanced one last time at the heiress, before disappearing into a puff of smoke.

"Wh-where did he go?" Kō activated his Byakugan, looking around. "You must not have shared this matter with him, Hinata-sama."

The heiress sighed, and massaged her temples. She had absolutely no idea what Sasuke had in mind, and this worried her the most. However, she did not have time to ponder over this. She first needed to go back to the compound, and investigate what had happened.

When the heiress stepped into the room, she felt all the pale eyes turning towards her, scrutinizing every single move she made. Saying that she hated elders' meeting was an understatement. In front of her, sitting in the centre, behind a large traditional table, was her father. As always, his emotions were concealed, and he did not even greet his daughter when she entered the room. Her grandfather, Hisato Hyūga, was sitting at his right. His grey hair was cleanly combed, and his piercing pale eyes stared at the heiress. Hinata despised him with all her heart. It was very hard for her to hate anyone. However, her grandfather was the reason behind the sparring combat that took place between her and her sister in order to choose the heiress. He was also the reason why her Uncle Hizashi had sacrificed his life. All in all, he was the reason why the Hyūga clan was rotten. Her grandfather was a man who knew well how to play clan politics, and she suspected him of getting involved with Danzo in the extermination of the Uchiha clan. He was known for being ruthless, and his motto was "Hyūga clan first". He had ruled the clan with iron fist, and now, his son was doing the same. Nothing had changed.

Hinata noticed that sitting on the left side of her father was no one else but Akio Hyūga. If the heiress has a list of people she hated, her grandfather would be number one, and Akio would be number two. He was her distant cousin from the main branch, and was only a few years older than her. And, all he did was being her grandfather's literal dog. He would follow him to the end of the world if needed to. And, obviously, the reason for this was to climb the ranks within the Hyūga clan, by licking Hisato's butt, and maybe even marry the heiress. He had achieved the rank of the youngest general of the Hyūga clan. Hinata hated everything about him, from his malicious eyes, his pointy chin, his arrogant smirk, to his long brown locks. Hinata tore away her eyes from him, to quickly glance at the Hyūga clan generals, sitting on either side of the clan leader.

The heiress politely bowed to her father and her grandfather, and sat down in front of the clan leader. She noticed that Hanabi was nowhere to be seen in the room, and she wondered what had happened to her.

"Hinata." Her father finally looked at her. "You are late."

"I was training with my teammates." She replied, holding her father's gaze. She was trying her best not to stutter. Although her stuttering had improved, these meetings still made her nervous.

"Hiashi, leave her alone." Hisato finally spoke, his raspy voice hurting Hinata's ears. He offered her a thin smile. "Hinata, three maids were murdered early this morning. The only Hyūga who left the compound early today was you." His soulless eyes examined the heiress' face. "Did you see, or hear anything?"

"I…" Hinata took a deep breath. "I, as you already know, woke up at four this morning. I went t-to the kitchen, to prepare three bento boxes." Her stuttering was coming back, and she was not even lying. She just felt uncomfortable under all these scrutinizing gazes. "I did not see or sense anyone in the kitchen. A-after preparing the boxes, I went back to my room, to prepare myself and then left the compound."

"How long did you take to 'prepare yourself'?" asked Akio, with a mocking grin.

"Thirty minutes." She coldly replied, without even looking at the young general.

Hisato furrowed his eyebrows. "This incident happened within a thirty-minute timeframe. Very strange."

"With all due respect Hinata-sama, why would you prepare three bento boxes early in the morning when you can ask maids to do it for you? And why three?" Asked Akio, his pale eyes surveying her face.

"Are you insinuating that the heiress would kill her own?" Hiashi asked, his tone cold enough to freeze the whole room. Akio gulped. The clan leader did not understand what his father saw in that young general.

"I have always prepared bento boxes myself for my teammates, to eat after our training." Calmly replied the heiress, finally locking her eyes with Akio's.

"Well, well. Thank you Hinata, for your precious information." Intervened Hisato, sensing the tension arising in the room.

He was going to end the meeting, when he suddenly felt an immense power overwhelming the compound. He was on his feet in a few seconds, in the Gentle Fist stance, followed by all the Hyūga present in the room, except for Hinata, who simply stood up, and turned her head towards the door. She knew who this was.

Sasuke Uchiha stepped into the room, his dark eyes scanning the Hyūga surrounding him. One had moved fast, and held a kunai at his throat. All of the Hyūga members has their Byakugan activated, and ready to kill him if needed to. He however noticed that Hinata was looking at him, with widened eyes, which were indirectly asking him if he was mad.

"Good morning," The Uchiha greeted the Hyūga clan, ignoring the kunai under his chin.

"Who let you enter? How dare you?" Yelled one of the Hyūga generals.

And all the generals started yelling, slowly stepping closer to the Uchiha. Hinata could catch a lovely words such as "traitor', "dirty Uchiha", and a few more. However, she kept staring at the mad man that was standing in front of her. How did he even enter the compound?

"Silence." Hiashi's harsh tone could be heard, and the noise died down, as all the Hyūga clan members were looking at their leader expectantly. They were all ready to kill the Uchiha, if needed to. None of them deactivated their Byakugan.

The clan leader, followed by Hisato, sat down. He then locked eyes with the Uchiha. "I hope that you have a good reason to barge into our meeting, Uchiha." The Hyūga general holding a kunai under Sasuke's chin slowly backed away, but still within the right distance to strike him if needed to.

Sasuke approached the table, and stood next to Hinata. He could sense the killing intent directed at him in the room, however, no one moved as their clan leader was ready to listen. He put the scroll in front of Hiashi Hyūga. "The ANBU has been authorised to investigate the three murders that took place this morning within the Hyūga compound." He declared, holding his gaze. "We will therefore require the three bodies to be transferred to Konoha Hospital for an autopsy. We will also ask Hinata Hyūga to come with me, to be interrogated."

"How dare Kakashi interfere!?" Akio leaned over the table, and glared at the Uchiha. "This is ridiculous. This is a personal clan matter, and Konoha has no right over this."

Hinata stiffened. What was the Uchiha doing? He was going to make this situation worse, and draw the suspicions of the dissident faction if he involved Konoha in this. She peered at him from the corner of her eye. He seemed calm, and totally unbothered by this situation.

Sasuke kept his gaze on Hiashi. "As per article 55 of Konoha's constitution, Konoha will not interfere with personal clan matters, unless it involves a murder, or any breach to human rights." Sasuke pointed at a paragraph on the scroll. "I believe the current circumstances are within the exception of Article 55."

"Many murders have happened in the clan. Never has a Hokage dared to interfere with the Hyūga clan." Snapped Akio Hyūga, slamming his fist on the table. "And how dare a traitor and ex-missing nin lecture us on the law?"

Hisato Hyūga raised his right hand, stopping Akio from continuing his sentence. "I understand. As the strongest and oldest clan in Konoha, we are to set the example, and will therefore abide by the law." A thin smile appeared on the old man's lips. "You may take our heiress with you for interrogation. However…" His piercing eyes shined with a threatening glint. "Should our heiress be mistreated in any way, the Hyūga clan will not stay still. She must be back to our compound within three hours. If not,… well, I am sure you will not let this happen, _Uchiha_."

Sasuke studied the elder's face carefully. He did not need the sharingan to see that he was powerful, despite his advanced age. The aura surrounding him was very dark and threatening. He reminded him of the members of the Uchiha council, that he once met with Itachi when he was younger. They spent their whole lives plotting, scheming and backstabbing for the "greater good" as they would call it.

The Uchiha simply nodded, and looked at the heiress standing next to him. They exchange a silent gaze for a few seconds. Her posture was rigid, and her big pale eyes were filled with worry. He could not read into people's mind, however, her eyes seemed to be screaming at him that he was insane. Which was a valid point. He had taken a great risk in interrupting a clan meeting, and involving Kakashi in this. However, this needed to be done so that they could get a hand on the autopsy and check whether this has a link with the dissident faction. He carefully stepped closed to the heiress. He absolutely hated any kind of physical contact, however, this was required for the mission. Sighing internally, he made a few hand signs, and grabbed her wrist. He felt the heiress stiffen under his touch.

"Don't you dare touch her!" hissed Akio.

But it was too late, as the heiress and the Uchiha had disappeared into a puff of smoke.


End file.
